Using white noise will lengthen your baby's naps and help her sleep through the night, but how do you use white noise, exactly?
Should you use white noise all night long?
Is it too noisy?
Are there styles of white noise that are better than others?
We answer these questions and more in this article.
How to Use White Noise for Babies (and Why)
1. Choose bass and white sounds that are stable.
2. Limit the amount of time your child is exposed to white noise.
3. Consider changing the level of white noise to match the volume of your child's crying.
4. White noise can become a healthy association for sleep when used appropriately, which actually helps your baby fall asleep (and stay asleep).
1. Choose deep, even white sounds.
For your child, there is no "good" white noise, all white noise pre-programmed into a computer or an application is serious white noise. In other words, they are white noises that are easy to ignore and which form a constant, monotonous and soothing background sound. Loud, high-pitched noises, such as an alarm clock beeping or a fire truck screeching, are high-pitched white noises. Of course, these sounds are not really relaxing and are bad for sleep!
You should, however, watch out for misleading white noise which can include high-pitched noises. Some white ocean noises, for example, are full of low-pitched sounds like crashing waves, but often high-pitched sounds like the cries of seagulls are also punctuated. It is better to choose a sound that is stable and serious for your baby.
2. Limit the amount of time your child is exposed to white noise.
White noise is great for naps and nighttime, but be careful not to rely on it too much. On the one hand, you want your child to gradually get used to all the normal noises in your home. For example, your baby will eventually have to get used to traffic noise if you live at a busy intersection.
For your child, exposure to various types of sounds can also be educational. He will realize over time, for example, that the sound of the doorbell means that someone new is at the door. Although it is not necessary to teach your baby to sleep in noise, you should ensure that he has the opportunity to become familiar with the usual, everyday sounds of your home.
3. Consider changing the level of white noise to match the volume of your child's crying.
Make sure the white noise is at least as loud as your child's when they cry. Your baby needs to be able to hear it over his crying for the white noise to be soothing. However, when it calms down and settles down, you should lower the volume so that it is loud enough to mask outside sounds without being too loud.
This kind of volume change can, of course, be a pain, and it certainly doesn't have to be. You can simply adjust and leave your white noise at a medium volume level. But it can be very soothing for young babies (newborns in particular), changing the volume according to their cry.
4. When used correctly, white noise can become a positive association for sleep.
Some sleep associations are not helpful; for example, if your baby associates being rocked , held, or breastfed by you with falling asleep, you will need to do this work every time he wakes up well beyond the time you are okay with it. do it. These are the kinds of associations with sleep that we typically seek to eliminate during the sleep training phase.
Some sleep correlations can however be positive and one of them is white noise! If white noise is associated with your child falling asleep, this noise can be a powerful indication that it's time to go to bed or go back to sleep.
And what's great is that using white noise requires virtually no work on your part: just turn it on at the end of your bedtime or nap routine, and away you go!
Discover our white noise device. You can choose several different sounds and also adjust the volume depending on how calm your baby is.
How do you use white noise for your baby? Share your tips and stories below, we love hearing from you!
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